Folk Tales of the Cosmos

Folk Tales of the Cosmos gathers myths and folktales about the Sun, Moon, planets and constellations, beginning with the Greek stories attached to familiar patterns in the night sky. Tales of Perseus, Medusa, Andromeda and Pegasus sit alongside accounts from other cultural traditions.

Janet Dowling also considers how star stories helped communities read the seasons, navigate, plan planting and anticipate animal migrations. The collection reaches beyond the predominantly European constellation tradition to include stories with European, Chinese and Indigenous roots, while acknowledging the different meanings such material can hold within its originating cultures. Notes on the stories identify sources and suggest further reading.